Chapter 12.19
Masturbation
Escape or Excuse – Lust or Release
Affair of the Mind - Is it a Sin?
First Word
This is a controversial and offensive
subject
to many, depending on the setting, but I will attempt to put it forth here in a
modest manner so that Christians of all flavors, men, women and teenagers alike
might feel comfortable and not left to flounder about through the moral maze
that side steps the subject, with just a few noncommittal comments.
While scripture spells out in detail about
other sexual sins the scripture is SILENT on the universal issue of masturbation
which is a common human experience. The Bible does
not tell us that it is wrong to smoke marijuana or use profane language, but
our Christian principals tell us to NOT do it; so what does your Christian principals
tell you about masturbation? Were you TAUGHT that using “The Pill” or a “Condom” or “Spilling your seed” was tantamount
to ABORTION?
Is what you believe only what someone
else has told you, or did you read it in the Holy Scriptures?
I think it would be wrong for me to go
beyond what God has written[1] by
just offering my opinion, because what is right or wrong for me might not be
right or wrong for you. Scripture speaks
about holiness “controlling
your body”, impurity, and passions of lust.[2] If we can put the cookies on the lower shelf
where you can get to them, you will find that the bottom line of the real issue
is; what is in your mind and what is in your thoughts? Do you masturbate often, or just once in a
great while? Is your act of masturbation
because of lustful
thoughts or is it a “pent up”
release?
When Sexual Temptations come, and they
will; Masturbation, Fondling, Oral Sex, and other such things are all given as
acceptable possibilities to refrain from sinning. We are told in scripture that when
temptation presents itself to us, God makes a way of ESCAPE[3] however
Satan makes a way of EXCUSE
- PONDER
THAT THOUGHT FOR A WHILE –
Wasting
the seed
I want to address the most used
scripture for condemning masturbation; it pretty much says that wasting or
spilling your semen on the ground
is WICKED. Let’s look at the story of Onan
and Tamar;
Er
the husband of Tamar
was a wicked man and God killed him.
Under their laws was the tradition “To perform the duty of a brother in law”,[4]
which was to see to it that a brother’s widow had a son to pass on the family
heritage. That would include taking her
into the family and having children with her.
It fell to Onan to take Tamar and have a child with her to “perform the
duty”. Onan seemed to be okay with the SEX part as he lay with Tamar,
but cheated her by spilling his seed on the ground; in my Belief System,
I believe he probably didn’t want to have a child by her to share in the inheritance
with his other children. Just saying
God said he was WICKED not because he had spilled
his seed on the ground, but because he had failed to perform “the duty of a
brother in law” and produce a child; so God
killed him too.
So this scripture is not about
wasting the seed or spilling it on the ground as one would do in masturbation; this story is about OBEDIENCE and RESPONSIBILITY.
Your Right Hand
Jesus was addressing some of His
followers concerning LUST, and said that just looking at a person with
lust, you have already sinned in your heart.[5] He said, “If your RIGHT
HAND[6] causes you to
sin, cut it off;”
was He referring to masturbation?
The entire story is about Lust in the heart and in the mind; Jesus is stating the
seriousness of the condition of a man’s heart.
That it would be better to lose an eye or a hand than to go to hell
because of the sin of LUST.
Once again, I do not see this as an
indictment on masturbation. Some
masturbate just to relieve themselves, so as to not have any of those “fantasy affair”
dreams of the mind.
Sexual
Desires
In the beginning God said that it was not
good for man to be alone and gave him a wife[7]
and the two of them became one;[8]
intoxicated with one another. God made
man and woman to procreate, to have
sex, to have children and many of them.[9] He created them to have a natural Sexual desire for each other that they might have optimum
pleasure the way they were intended.[10]
Sex in marriage not only gives pleasure,
but expresses love,
unity, and commitment to each other. Satisfying the desires of the flesh is
generally the root cause of masturbation. Since masturbation begins in the mind, it
might be called having an “AFFAIR OF
THE MIND”.[11]
The problem with masturbation is that it not
only can become habit forming and addictive, but is an act of self-gratification rather than a part of giving gratification which provides pleasure to one’s partner. Of course sexual urges, in and of themselves
are not sinful, but perhaps the use of SEXUAL TOYS to obtain that
gratification is.
Self-Control of the body is part of the Fruit of the
Spirit.[12] Scripture pretty much says if you PLAY
with you private parts, you are going to get burned.[13] It’s in the Book All things are lawful
for the believer,” but all things are not helpful. “All things are lawful,” but the believer should not be
dominated by anything and that
includes masturbation.[14]
Facts of
Life
All living creations have been
created with a desire for SEX; it is
awakened in people at various ages and stages of life. Masturbation
is
obviously “natural”
and therefore “morally
neutral”. It is NOT
forbidden by God, but with that said, God DOES address keeping your body under control.
For the single person, man or woman, masturbation keeps you from sin and all the consequences
of premarital sex, which includes damaged emotions, unwanted children and
diseases such as AIDS.
For the married person who has come apart from the spouse for a period of time, but still
desires each other, the consequences of un-faithfulness or Adultery are
avoided.
According to scripture MASTURBATION is NOT A SIN, it can occur because of scheduling
problems, travel, or just fatigue of the spouse. However it’s the thoughts that is in
your mind that brings on Sin; Immoral thoughts, Pornography and Lust. The believer should denounce all
forms of sexual impurity & FANTASIES
whether they are actual or MENTAL.
Building
a Case for Sin
The
case for Sin comes down to this;
a) Sexual
immorality must not be named among you.[15]
b) Whatever
does not proceed from faith is sin. [16]
c) Your
body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.[17]
d) Do not use your body members for
sin.[18]
e) You
are to do everything to the glory of God.[19]
Nothing in itself is unclean, but it’s UNCLEAN FOR
ANYONE WHO THINKS IT IS UNCLEAN.
What is right
for you may not be right for someone else.
Withholding SEX
If masturbation is used to avoid or deny
sex with your spouse, then IT IS A SIN.
Scripture is clear that a man and his wife should not deny each other sex[20] except for an agreed upon time, lest Satan get
a foothold in their life.
The
Take Away
Drinking Alcohol is not a sin; Drunkenness
is the Sin; Masturbation is not a sin; Lust is the Sin.
I can build a case with enough scripture
that masturbation is a SIN, but I think I would be going beyond what God
has said or not said; consider this; is it an ESCAPE or ESCUSE?
Can you masturbate without sinning?[21]
Are you having an AFAIR OF THE MIND? We
should not pass judgment on one another with the stumbling block of our
opinion.[22] What works for you may not work for someone
else. Each person must give an account
to God for their own self.
We
have the Holy Spirit within us, and do not live for the earthly passions
anymore; we are DONE WITH SIN,[23]
our thoughts are on “the will of God”. There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus.[24] Is your masturbation an ESCAPE or ESCUSE?
[1] 1 Corinthians 4:6 – Do Not to go beyond what is written
[2] 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8 – God has called us in holiness -- 1 Thessalonians
4:4 - Learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable
[3] 1 Corinthians 10:13 – God provides a WAY OF ESCAPE so that you will be able
to endure it.
[4] Genesis 38:6-11 - “Go in to your brother’s wife and perform THE DUTY OF A
BROTHER-IN-LAW, but whenever he went in to his brother’s wife he would WASTE THE SEMEN on the
ground”
[5] Matthew 5:27-28 – He who LOOKS at a woman
with LUSTFUL INTENT has already COMMITTED ADULTERY with her in his heart.
[6] Matthew 5:29-30 - If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off
[7] Genesis 2:18 – It’s not good for a man to be alone, he needs a
cute wife
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 –
Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit SO GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY
Galatians 5:17-18 - DESIRES OF THE
FLESH ARE AGAINST THE SPIRIT,
and the DESIRES OF THE SPIRIT ARE AGAINST THE FLESH
Matthew 26:41 - The
flesh is weak
2
Timothy 2:22 - Run from lustful passions
1 John 2:16 - Lust of
the eyes and flesh are not from God, but is from the world.
Job 31:1 – Make a covenant to not look with lust
at another person
[8] Genesis 2:24 – Man & Wife; the two have become one flesh
[9] Genesis 1:28 – God made man and woman to have children to be FRUITFUL, and multiply,
[10] Proverbs 5:18-19 – Rejoice & be intoxicated with the wife of your youth
[11] Matthew 26:41 - The flesh is weak -- Job 31:1 – Make a covenant to not look with lust at another
person -- 2 Timothy 2:22 - Run from lustful passions --
1 John 2:16 - Lust of the eyes and flesh are not from God, but is from
the world.
[12] Galatians 5:22-23 – Self-Control is a fruit of the Spirit -- 1
Thessalonians 4:2-8 – CONTROL YOUR OWN BODY in holiness
and honor, abstain from SEXUAL IMMORALITY;
[13] Proverbs 6:27 – Can you build a FIRE IN YOUR LAP and not BURN YOUR
PANTS
[14] 1 Corinthians 6:12 – All
things are lawful for me,” but NOT ALL THINGS
ARE HELPFUL; Do not be
dominated by anything
[15] Ephesians 5:3 – Sexual immorality must not be among you
[16] Romans 14:14-23 - Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin
[17] 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit
[18] Romans 6:13 – Do not use your body members for sin
[19] 1 Corinthians 10:31 – WHATEVER YOU DO, DO ALL TO
THE GLORY OF GOD.
[20] 1 Corinthians 7:2-5 – DO NOT DEPRIVE
EACH OTHER OF SEXUAL RELATIONS as punishment causing
the spouse to Masturbate
[21] Romans 7:20 – IT IS THE SIN LIVING IN ME THAT SINS; IT’S NOT ME
[22] Romans 14:12-13 – Don’t pass judgment on one another
[23] 1 Peter 4:1-2 – Through the Holy Spirit; we are done with Sin
[24] Romans 8:1 – We are no longer condemned as Christians
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